How Much Does AWS Certification Cost? Are you looking to acquire an AWS certification to advance in your cloud computing career? Take the time to study the costs associated with pursuing an AWS certification.
Amazon helps IT learners build their confidence and credibility by offering specialized AWS certifications that they can use to validate their expertise in cloud computing.
The credentials are highly recognized around the IT sector, so that companies can identify skilled professionals in the area, making AWS certifications in demand. Thus, we’ll study:
- How much do different AWS certifications cost?
- How much do preparation courses for the exam cost?
How Much Do Different AWS Certifications Cost?
Before you go into AWS certification costs, it’s important to grasp the various certification options. The reason is that different certification levels cost differently.
Plus, an understanding of what each certification entails helps determine whether the pricing is justified or not. So, we’ll walk you through level-wise costs for AWS certifications:
| Levels | Sub levels | Duration | Cost |
| Foundation | Practitioner Exam | 90 minutes | $100 |
| Associate | Solutions Architect–Associate SysOps Administrator Developer | 130 minutes | $150 |
| Professional | Solutions Architect–Professional DevOps Engineer | 170 minutes | $300 |
| Specialty | Advanced Networking- Specialty Machine Learning- Specialty Database- Specialty Data Analytic-Specialty Security–Specialty Alexa Skill Builder- Specialty | 170 minutes | $300 |
1. Foundation Level Certification Exam
The first test that learners take at the very beginning of their AWS certification path is the foundation-level exam. This highly recommended exam for beginners is entirely focused on the basic or foundational concepts of cloud computing.
The name of the specific exam that learners appear for at this level is the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Exam.
AWS Certified Practitioner Exam Overview and AWS Certification Cost
Designed to test those with a basic understanding of the AWS platform, the AWS Certified Practitioner Exam evaluates test-takers on a wide range of AWS cloud concepts, including basic security, value proposition, pricing models, architectural principles, compliance aspects, basic global infrastructure, and more.
[AWS Certification Cost]– The price of the same is $100 and its duration is 90 minutes.
2. Associate Level Certification Exams
After passing the foundational level exam, you are good to go to test yourself on the associate level. Because of its higher difficulty level than that of the foundation level, you need to possess in-depth and broad knowledge of the various cloud computing aspects to pass the exams at this level.
AWS Certified Solutions Architect- Associate
If you have at least one year of hands-on experience in implementing AWS cloud solutions and designing distributed applications, you can safely appear for this certification exam.
It covers numerous aspects, such as the design and implementation of cloud solutions, the architecture and deployment of applications, and the use of architectural design principles.
[AWS Certification Cost] – Costing $150, the AWS Solution Architect certification exam lasts 130 minutes.
AWS Certified SysOps Administrator
Designed for system administrators, the AWS Certified SysOps Administrator is yet another associate-level exam and is targeted toward system administrators.
The certification exam tests a myriad of aspects such as management of applications on the AWS platform, data transfers between AWS and data centers, choosing and deploying the right AWS services for different types of organizations, and so on.
Before taking this exam, spend at least one year working in operations and deployment in AWS. Like other associate-level certification exams, the exam costs $150 and lasts 130 minutes.
AWS Certified Developer Associate
It’s strongly recommended that you spend at least one year working in the maintenance and development of cloud applications before giving this exam. Not only should you possess a basic understanding of the best practices in AWS architecture but also have profound knowledge of programming languages.
AWS Certification Cost– Again, the $150 certification exam has a duration of 130 minutes.
3. Professional Level Certification Exams
As the top-most level in AWS certification, this certification exam requires an in-depth understanding and knowledge, as well as extensive experience working with AWS services. This can make you think that there might be some prerequisites to take this certification level.
Surprisingly, there aren’t any requirements to register and take a professional-level certification exam. If you think you have what it takes to pass the exam, but haven’t taken any of the foundation or associate-level certifications, you can still take a professional-level certification exam.
However, since professional-level certification exams are designed for those who’ve mastered AWS, their difficulty level is incredibly high. To prepare yourself for it, it’s best to take an associate-level certification exam and gain broad experience in the area. Among the professional level certification exams include:
AWS Certified Solutions Architect–Professional
Specifically designed for test takers with no less than two years of experience as a Solutions Architect in the field of AWS, the AWS Certified Solutions Architect-Professional is just a highly advanced version of the AWS Certified Solutions Architect-Associate.
While it’s not mandatory, consider obtaining the latter before going for the former. It will be like preparation for the more advanced exam.
AWS Certification Cost– Costing $300, this certification exam lasts 180 minutes.
AWS Certified DevOps Engineer
Like other professional-level certification exams, the exam for AWS Certified DevOps Engineer is highly challenging. It’s designed for professionals with no less than two years of practical experience in managing and provisioning AWS architectures.
It typically encompasses aspects like AWS automation processes, monitoring and log systems in AWS, Continuous Delivery Methodologies, and so on.
Experts advise that you take one or more of the associate-level certification exams such as the AWS Certified SysOps Administrator- Associate and/or the AWS Certified Developer Associate.
Like other professional-level certification exams, this certification takes 170 minutes and $300.
4. Specialty Certification Exams
Apart from the three certification level exams discussed above, AWS also offers several specialty exams directed toward professionals with a deep understanding and knowledge of their chosen domain. These include:
AWS Certified Advanced Networking- Specialty
Obtaining this certification will validate your knowledge in handling sophisticated networking tasks on AWS. With an exam duration of 170 minutes, the certification costs $300.
AWS Certified Machine Learning- Specialty
Holding this certification demonstrates proficiency in developing, implementing, and maintaining machine learning solutions on AWS.
The certification exam costs $300 and takes 170 minutes.
AWS Certified Database- Specialty
Costing $300 and lasting for 180 minutes, this certification will validate your expertise to design and managing AWS database solutions.
AWS Certified Data Analytic-Specialty
If you think you possess the skill to develop and model Big Data Solutions with the help of AWS services, you can test it by appearing for the AWS Certified Data Analytics certification exam.
Like other specialty certification exams, this one also costs $300 and takes 180 minutes to complete.
AWS Certified Security – Specialty
Passing this certification exam will validate your proficiency in cloud computing’s security domain. Lasting for 170 minutes, the certification costs $300.
It is recommended to have around 2-3 years of working experience to take up this specialty exam.
AWS Certified Alexa Skill Builder- Specialty
If you can expertly develop, test, and publish Amazon Alexa Skills, taking the AWS Certified Alexa Skill Builder- Specialty certification exam serves as an opportunity to demonstrate and prove that skill to employers and others.
This certification will also last 170 minutes and cost $300.
generic Skillset for clearing AWS Certifications
Whether you are going from Basic to PRO certifications in AWS, below are a few common AWS services that you must have a hold on.
And other basic knowledge on topics like Storage gateway, AWS EMR, Mobile Hub, AWS Direct Connect gateway, AWS IAM, AWS Monitoring Tools, etc.
How Much Do AWS Training Courses Cost?
While you’re now aware of the costs associated with different AWS certification exams, those aren’t the only costs you need to worry about. You also need to account for the costs of training and education to prepare yourself for the exams.
Thanks to online learning, you have so many practice tests and high-quality video training available at considerably low rates on the internet.
Reaching out to high-caliber instructors and accessing incredibly high amounts of knowledge is now cheaper than ever. What used to cost thousands of dollars in the past can be acquired for as little as $10 to $15 today.
According to experts, classroom-based training holds little value for AWS learning, which is why eLearning is increasingly becoming the new normal.
Besides, it costs around $20 to $40 to take official practice tests offered by AWS. These only include 20 to 30 questions and that too without any explanations.
A much better preparatory option is to go for high-quality practice test courses that not only come with a large pool of questions but also provide reference links and detailed explanations.
All you need to do is run a search on Google, and you’ll find tons of valuable AWS training courses at reasonable prices.
free AWS certification training?
Is AWS training and certification free–
Check out Free AWS Certification Training link to know more.
FAQs- AWS Certification Cost
Q1: Is The AWS Certification Worth It?
If your goal for obtaining an AWS certification is to advance in your career, then it’s certainly worth it. According to the State of the Cloud report, cloud certification directly boosted the salary of 80% of the test takers.
Q2: What Is AWS Certification Salary?
According to Global Knowledge, the average 2021 salaries AWS certified professionals include-
$154,548 for AWS Certified DevOps Engineer-Professional,
$153, 142 for AWS Certified Solutions Architect-Associate,
$158,777 for AWS-Certified SysOps Administrator- Associate,
$159,767 for AWS Certified Developer-Associate,
and $161,409 for AWS Certified Solutions Architect- Professional.
Q3: How Long Will An AWS Certification Stay Valid?
Once you’ve obtained an AWS certification, you’ll need to recertify or update the certification every three years. For more details, check the AWS Certification Recertification page.
Q4: What is retake policy for certification exam?
You have to wait for 14 days to re-appear for the exam, but the catch here is you have to pay the full price for every re-take.
Q5: How soon I can get my certification results?
You would be able to get a pass or a fail result immediately, but it takes approximately 24-48 hours to get the certificate and the scorecard.
Q6: Can Exam be rescheduled if I miss the scheduled time slot?
No, you will not be able to reschedule the exam if you miss the scheduled time slot. You will forfeit the money as well.
Q7: Can you appear For certification at home?
Yes, you can appear for the certification at home through Pearson Vue. They will guide you throughout your exam process.
Q8: What is the registration process for the certification exam?
You can schedule the exam from the official AWS site, they have a tie-up with Pearson VUE or PSI, and you can follow the step-by-step guide as given on the official page.
Conclusion
By now, you should have obtained a fair understanding of the costs associated with an AWS certification. You pay not only for the certification exam you register for but also for the training courses and materials you use for exam preparation.
We truly hope that you find high-quality AWS preparatory courses at reasonable prices and are able to pass your chosen exam.
Happy Clouding!!
I am an Amazon Web Services Professional, having more than 11 years of experience in AWS and other technologies. Extensively working in various AWS tools like S3, Lambda, API, Kinesis, Load Balancers, EKS, ECS, and many more. Working as a Solution Architect and Technology Lead for Architecting and implementing the same for different clients. He provides expert solutions around the world and especially in countries like the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, etc. Check out the complete profile on About us.
